Cleaning This Gun
by rockyshadow
Summary: Ryan remembers what Kelsi's dad put him through when he started dating Kelsi and decides that he will put his daughter's date through the same pressure. Based on the song by Rodney Atkins


Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical or "Cleaning This Gun." They're owned by Disney and Rodney Atkins

Dedicated to **The** **Sway** **Wannabe** who actually requested this

I may not remember many speeches from my teachers in high school, but I do remember a speech I heard from Kelsi's dad around that same time. When I went to her house to pick her up for our senior prom he gave me a speech that was very intimidating for a teenage guy who was going on his first date with the girl. I thought that it might happen; since my dad had done it with Sharpay's dates over the years, but that didn't mean I was ready for it. While Kelsi was getting ready that night Mr. Nielsen pulled me aside and talked to me while Mrs. Nielsen was helping their daughter. He led me to their living room, motioned for me to sit down, and asked me a few questions. I sat on the seat on one side of the couch and he joined me on the other side.

"So you like my daughter?" I nodded and looked up at him, he was looming over me since he stood up not long after he said that

He then asked me to talk about myself. I told him about how I was in the drama club with Kelsi and how I was in many of our school's plays and musicals. He nodded as I spoke and the glare he had been giving me as soon as he had seen me lessened a bit. The stress I had been feeling up to that point lessened too. I tried to smile, but I don't think I was. My acting training was really failing me now.

"She's her daddy's girl and means the world to her mother," he continued "She deserves respect and that's what she'll get," he glared at me again

I completely agree with that and wouldn't dream of disagreeing with him about any of it. I was about to say so when he suddenly smiled at me. We heard Kelsi and her mom coming down stairs at that moment. He grabbed my hand and pulled me off the couch leading me toward the staircase and his daughter.

"Go and have some fun and I'll see you when you get back," he grinned and put my hand in Kelsi's.

I noticed her blush as I saw the gun in Mr. Nielsen's hand that he'd been hiding behind his back. She tried to lead me to the door as her father continued

"I'll probably be up all night still cleaning this gun," he laughed as he saw my reaction

He then decided to reassure me that he wasn't going to hurt me and it was all for show. I really started to wonder why Mrs. Nielsen would even let him do this to poor unsuspecting teenage boys.

"It's a daddy thing and it works" he laughed again and looked like he was having the time of his life with his little prank

Kelsi and I finally left her house and even though I brought my car she was the one who drove us to prom since I was so tense.

It's been twenty years and Kelsi and I had a teenage daughter of our own. I was seriously rethinking my stance on giving her permission to date and that strange interrogation I got from my future father-in-law all those years ago was really beginning to sound pretty good. There was a boy coming over to our apartment that night to pick up our daughter and I wanted to be ready. I could be intimidating and even if I couldn't I had all my acting training from high school to fall back on so I could fake it. I decided to not let my wife or our daughter in on my plan. I knew they would both hate the idea. Instead I tried to stage everything for my performance before he arrived.

As my daughter, Carly was getting ready and Kelsi was rehearsing a new song she wrote I was waiting for our doorbell to ring. It was almost time for me to finally meet Mitchell. This was going to be fun. I set a prop gun that I had borrowed from a play that I had just choreographed on the coffee table and eagerly stood by our front door in anticipation. He should be here in about five minutes. I was rubbing my hands together and was even cackling. I probably should get a hold of myself, I wanted to be intimidating; not look like some cheesy cartoon villain.

The doorbell rang and I turned toward the door to answer it. There on the other side was Mitchell and to my delight he already looked terrified. Maybe I wouldn't have to do much after all. I gestured to him to follow me and instructed him to sit down. I then proceeded to do everything my father-in-law had done years before. He tried to ask where Carly was, but I cut him off with my first question. Everything I asked of him or told him to do he would either nod or shake his head. After that first attempt to talk he hadn't spoken again. I must be more intimidating than I thought. He kept eying the gun on my coffee table and his eyes grew wider and wider. He was lucky that he and Carly weren't going on their date to a formal occasion and she may bail him out of the whole situation much quicker than I had had to endure back then. Even still, I tried to get in everything I could. I picked up the prop as I heard my daughter come into the room. She glared at me and yelled for her mother to come to the living room. This was not good. Kelsi was not going to be happy with this. I told teens to have fun and informed them that they better get going if they wanted to get to their appointment in time. He better bring her home safe and sound though and back at ten, no, 9:30 sharp. I led them both to the door and awaited the lecture I would undoubtedly be getting from my wife for this.


End file.
